Idaho state Sen. John Goedde (R), chairman of the the state Senate Education Committee, introduced legislation to require every Idaho high school student to read Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and pass a test on it to graduate from high school, the Spokane Spokesman-Review reports. The reason for this is reading the book made Goedde’s son a Republican, so he wants all of Idaho’s school children to be Republicans.

If a Democrat did this (although I cannot think of a comparable book or author that singularly informs the liberal mind if only because we liberals tend to be more intelligent and we read many books, not just one), can you imagine the outrage? Fox News would self immolate.

Do you remember the atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair? She was once asked if she opposed the Bible being taught as literature in public schools. She indicated that she was all for it as long as the school also required a class in comparative religions. She figured, rather cogently in my view, that if students saw that Christianity’s claims were just as incredible as the claims of other religions, then many students would realize that there is nothing particularly remarkable and compelling about Christianity.

I’ve met students who read a Rand book in high school but who were not introduced to any contrary economic and political views or to a critique of Rand’s thought. Unsurprisingly, they were gaga, absolutely fanatical, about Rand. I say let students learn about Rand as well as critiques of Rand and competitive economic and political theories (and critiques of them as well). Once students realize through comparative analysis that Rand held utterly insane and indefensible views (like there should be no public roads and streets), Rand will be a laughingstock to them.

Instead of reading Her books they should read her Bio and according to the Repuk’s today she would be labeled a taker. She also was an atheist and when Paul Ryan found that out he sort of downed played here on the campaign trail